January 3, 2018

A $12 million investment will expand non-invasive cardiac care at JFK Medical Center

Hackensack Meridian Health, New Jersey’s most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network, is proud to announce that JFK Health in Edison, a leading hospital system that is nationally recognized for its pediatric and adult neuroscience and rehabilitation programs, is joining the network which will expand to 16 hospitals. With now more than 160 patient care locations, Hackensack Meridian Health is the largest health network in the state.

“JFK Health and Hackensack Meridian Health share a common mission and commitment to providing high quality care and an enhanced patient experience,” said Robert C. Garrett, Co-CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “As we continue to grow, we will transform health care in New Jersey and provide residents with greater access to care in hundreds of locations throughout the state.”

Hackensack Meridian Health also announced the investment of $12 million in a major expansion of the cardiac catheterization lab at JFK Medical Center to be completed this year pending regulatory approval. “The project will also add a treatment suite that will consolidate and expand non-invasive cardiac diagnostic services – echocardiograms, EKG and vascular studies – in one accessible and convenient location,” Garrett said.

“JFK is already an outstanding provider of cardiac services in central New Jersey and with this investment, I am confident we will not only maintain but expand this leadership role in serving the region,” added Garrett said.

Additionally, the merger will result in more than 160 patient care locations throughout the state which will include ambulatory surgery centers, home care, long-term care and assisted living facilities, ambulance services, fitness and wellness centers, and outpatient centers, to name a few. The network provides an unprecedented continuum of care in New Jersey to make sure treatment – as well as access to our fitness and wellness centers – is convenient and of the highest quality. Patients receive the right care, at the right place and time.

“We have a long history together through our partnerships with rehabilitation and home care and we are both committed to providing the most advanced treatment,” said John K. Lloyd, Co-CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health. “We are thrilled to have JFK in our network.”

JFK Health is comprised of the 499-bed JFK Medical Center in Edison, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation centers, nursing facilities and specialized treatment programs. JFK’s Neuroscience Institute provides some of the most advanced treatment in the tri-state area for adult and pediatric neurological conditions.

“The addition of JFK’s Neuroscience Institute to Hackensack Meridian Health brings 25 years of advanced neuroscience care, education and research to our network,” said Lloyd. “We are thrilled to announce that JFK Neuroscience Institute will be the first in the state to introduce Precision Virtual Reality medical visualization platform by Surgical Theatre™.”

This revolutionary virtual reality device combines flight simulation technology with a patient’s own diagnostic scans to create a 3D, 360-degree room-scaled replica of the patient’s anatomy. Well in advance of surgery, neurosurgeons slip on a virtual reality headset and see exceptionally detailed images to determine the best strategy to target pathologies while preserving normal tissue to achieve optimal outcomes. The technology also gives patients and their families the same visuals so they can become more immersed in the treatment planning and decision making process.

“This tool reflects Hackensack Meridian’s commitment to innovation and transforming care, added Fredericks. “I can’t think of a better setting to introduce this technology than JFK Neuroscience Institute, which has led the way in advancing and transforming neurosurgical and neurological care in New Jersey for a generation.”

The 94-bed Johnson Rehabilitation Institute also joins an impressive array of top-ranked health services offered by Hackensack Meridian Health hospitals. These programs complement Hackensack Meridian Health‘s partnership with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center offering a new standard of cancer care available to people across the state. Additionally, a campus in Plainfield features a satellite emergency department open 24-7, dialysis treatment and other services.

The two networks are aligned in advancing education for the next generation of health care providers. Later this year, Hackensack Meridian Health plans to open a medical school with Seton Hall University. Meanwhile, JFK has distinguished residency programs in Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Family Medicine and Dentistry along with more than 400 students enrolled in the JFK- Muhlenberg Harold B. and Dorothy A. Snyder Schools of Nursing, Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences. And through two children’s hospitals, we can support and enhance pediatric services provided at JFK.

“We look forward to JFK Health joining the Hackensack Meridian Health family,” said Gordon Litwin, Esq., co-chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees. “This is an exciting time for health care in New Jersey and beyond.”

“Hackensack Meridian Health has more hospitals ranked in the top 10 in New Jersey than any other network, including Hackensack University Medical Center, the state’s No. 1 hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center at No. 4 and Ocean and Riverview Medical Centers tied at No 8. The addition of JFK Health will continue that success,” said Joseph Simunovich, co-chair of the Hackensack Meridian Health Board of Trustees.

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 16 hospitals, including three academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and nine community hospitals, two rehabilitation hospitals, physician practices, more than 160 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care facilities. Hackensack Meridian Health has 33,000 team members, more than 6,500 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, four hospitals ranked among the top 10 in New Jersey, including Hackensack University Medical Center, the No. 1 hospital, Jersey Shore University Medical Center at No. 4 and Ocean and Riverview Medical Centers tied at No. 8., as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Other honors include consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.